Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Shorties

Wow. There sure has been a lot happening since the last time I posted. So, I'll start from the beginning.

I spent the last two weeks in the Carolinas. My trip began as I headed out the door one morning on my way to Sunrift Adventures in Travelers Rest, SC. We rocked an Evolv demo that night and worked up some plans to check out Rumbling Bald the next day. And we did! This was the first time I had been to the area. My head was on a swivel as we drove through mountains and down into the valleys. I wasn't really sure what to expect. Was it gonna be flat terrain? Overhung? Crimpy? Sharp? No, yes, yes, no. The approach is moderately easy, only because your taking switch backs on a bulldozed path up this hill. Otherwise, yes it is all uphill. The climbing was varied. Most bolders were exposed on three sides having fallen off the cliff above. It's very interesting how the boulders clustered. It's as if certain parts of the cliff gave way, leaving piles of boulders in certain areas rather than being a consistent concentration. Being NC granite, it is very crimpy. The rock just naturally forms edges that are perfect for pulling on. My friend Jared Hancock showed me around. I really wanted to see the Brackish boulder. So we went there and climbed....a lot.

I love the days that I can go outside and climb on my road trips. It makes me appreciate the gift of everything we find in nature that much more. Seeing the double yellow for hours on end can be taxing. My body and mind need exercise to stay sharp and alert. Thanks Jared!

From there I had to, yep, drive to Brevard, NC for an Evolv demo and dyno comp that night. We had about 50 people come out and huck past the Evolv banners toward the finish holds. The local news paper even came out and gave us the cover the next day! Team Evolv NC was there in full force. Love these guys....and gals.

I left there the next morning and headed to Asheville. Still, my head was on a swivel. I've been to the Boone area but never Asheville. The country is so beautiful there. I thought about going to the Biltmore Mansion on my way back to Greenville like three or four times, seriously considering it too. But then I realized I had time to get back to Brevard and go out with Travis and Eric. The day was rainy. I didn't care. So, we headed to Looking Glass with high hopes. And sure enough, we found dry holds leading to a wet topout. Not to say I expected more. I even managed to send this rig.

Travis likes Drunkgirl 7B+

Plan executed. I arrived in Greenville that night in time to catch the 9:00 showing of Warm Bodies. Zombie love story. Yes. haha....It was alright. The next day was EORA set up.

And finally, after a week and a half on the road, I got back the day before Valentines Day. Little did Chandler know that I had BIG plans for our evening. That's right I popped the question! She said yes!

And here is another shorty. I drove up the mountain yesterday on my lunch break and put this rig to rest. I was ambitious but cautious in my approach. No warmups, haven't tried this boulder in years, and overall not sure if I remember how to do it. So, I started at the top, which is easier, and worked my way down, doing link by link until I got to the start. From there I fell on the second move once, which is the crux, and then linked it to the top next try! Total time spent at the boulder = 1 hour.